Cremation-closet



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I. D. SMEAD. CREMATIO'N GLO'SET.

Patefited Apr. 7, 1891:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC 1 SMEAD, or TOLEDO, OHIO.

CREMATlON-CLOSET,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,97 1, dated April '7, 1891.

Application filed December 20,1890. I Serial No. 375,385i (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC D. SMEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cremation-Closets, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to cremationclosets; and the invention consists in certain improvements on the apparatus described in my previous application, Serial No. 366,001,

' filed September 24, 1890, said improvements being hereinafter fully described and set forth. v

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the furnace with a series of closets shown in front elevation; and Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal section on the line so a: of Fig. 1, showing a plan view of the pan or receptacle and the mechanism for removing the residue there-.

from.

The general construction of the furnace and closets is fully described in my former application, to which reference is hereby made, and I will now proceed to describe my present improvements and their mode of operation.

These improvements consist, first, in an improved form of pan or receptacle for the deposits and in mechanism for removing the residue therefrom, and, second, in devices or means for automatically operating the damper in the direct-draft flue leading from the desiccating-chamber to the vent-stack whenever any one of the closet-lids is raised, and also whenever the door of the fire-chamber or of the ash-pit is opened.

In this as in my former application the furnace is provided with an upper desiccating-chamber P, through which a current of air is made to pass continually, and a lower fire or combustion chamber R, in the front part of which a fire is kept burning continuously, the desiccating-chamber being connected by one or more pipes or fiues F with the ash-pit of the fire-chamber, as shown in Fig. 1. The desiccating-chamber P is also connected to the vent-stack O by a direct flue or pipe H, in which is located a damper or valve 1', which has a weight W on one side, so as to cause the damper to normally occupy a position crosswise of the pipe or flue H and keep said pipe closed, except when the damper is turned to open the same, as hereinafter explained. In this as in the former instance a pan D'is usedto receive the deposits, both solid and liquid,which fall from the closets above; but this pan I now make of greater depth at the front end than at its rear, its bottom being inclined, as shown in Fig. 1, from rear to front, so that the liquid portion of the deposits will naturally run to the front end or portion of the pan,thus concentrating the liquids at the end nearest the fire, where they will be more rapidly evaporated.

It is obvious that the pan may be of uniform depth throughout its length and be set inclined, in which case it will operate the same; but I prefer to make it as shown.

In my former application I showed and described two plans for removing the residue from the pan, one consisting in drawing it out at the front end by means of a longhandled scraper inserted through a door at the front of the desiccating-chamber, and the other plan consisting in mounting the pan 011 trunnions at its ends, so it could be turned over and dump its contents into the chamber below. In practice I find that both of these plans are attended with difficultiesfirst, that sometimes the furnace has to be so located in a building that there is not room at the front to use a scraper of the requisite length of handle, and, second, that its use requires the doors of the furnace to be kept open for too great a length of time, the air entering at the fire-door, when that has to be opened for that purpose, interfering with the current of air which it is desired to keep up through the desiccating-chamber. To obviate these difficulties and provide a betterand more convenient means for-removing the contents of the pan when desired, I now locate within the pan a scrapers, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This scraper. is preferably made of a somewhat heavy body of cast-iron, with a strip of sheet or plate iron secured to its upper side, with its front face made concave, as shown, and of a length equal, or practically so, to the width of the pan, it having sutficient clearage at its ends to permit it to be moved freelyfrom end to end of the pan. To

operate this scraper, I provide a transverse shaftt at the front end of the desiccatingchamber, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, this shaft being mounted in suitable bearings either on the outside of the front wall, as shown, or, if preferred, at the inside. It has secured upon it two sprocket-wheels 1), one at each side, and at the rear end of the pan I mount two pulleys p, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, they being mounted on separate journals or on a common shaft, the same as those at the front. On the sprocket-wheel and pulley at each side I place an endless chain c, to both of which the scraper S is attached, so that when the shaft t is rotated by means of the crank 1. (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) the scraper will be drawn along to the front end of the pan, carrying or shoving before it whatever of residue or material there may be in the pan. The front end of the pan D is made inclined, as shown, so that as the scraper advances the material in front of it will be pushed over the front end of the pan and fall through the opening in the partition-plate c (the slide cl being Withdrawn) and fall upon the fire below, the same as in my former case. For the purpose of supporting the chains 6 loose pulleys u are mounted at the sides of the pan at its front end, and if the furnace be of such length as to require more they may be secured at intervals, the ends of the upper portion of the scraper being cut away sufficiently to permit it to pass freely. It will of course be understood that each end of the scraper is attached to the chains e at one point only, there being a notch or hole in the upper part of the scraper for the free part of the chain to pass through, so as not to interfere with the movement of the latter. By this arrangement the pan can be emptied of nearly all of its contents whenever desired and without opening any of the doors or in any manner interfering with the current of air passing through the desiccating-chamber. tied, the scraper will be at once returned to its original position at the rear end of the pan, and which is effected by turning the crank i in the opposite direction.

Any known form of sprocket-wheel and chain may be used, or awire rope may be sub stituted by using a suitable form of wheel to bite or grasp the rope, or by giving the rope a turn around the wheels on the shaft. So, too, a single chain or rope may be used, it only being necessary to locate it at the center and secure the scraper to it by braces, so it will move straight to and fro along the pan. The plan shown is, however, preferred.

In my former application I described means for automatically operating the damper in the direct-draft flue H by the opening and closing of the closet-lids Z. I have now devised what I considera better means for that purpose, and also a means for operating it automatically whenever either the fire-dooror the ashpit is opened. This latter feature I consider very important, for the reason that whenever \Vhen thus emp either of these doors is opened for any considerable length of time, as they'must necessarily be to put on fuel or remove ashes, the air entering at these points will stop more or less the draft of air from the desiccatingchamber, and in such case there is aliability that the otlors arising from the contents of the pan may pass out at the front or upward through the closets, and which it is desirable to guard against at all times.

In order to operate the damper in the pipe or flue II by the raising of any one of the closet-lids, I provide a shaft or rod I with a crank, eccentric, or any similar lateral projection r at the proper point to connect by a rod, chain, or cord at with a corresponding crank, eccentric, or projection r on the projecting end of the axis of the damperf, as represented in Fig. 1, cranks being shown in the drawings. This rod or shaft I is mounted so as to turn freely in suitable bearings in rear of the closet-lids Z and nearly on .a line with their upper surfaces, as shown, and at a point opposite eachlid the shaft is provided with a rigid arm r, which when the lids are closed will project over them, one over each lid. IVith the parts thus arranged it will be seen that whenever any one of the lids Z is raised it will raise the arm t and thereby cause the shaft to turn in its bearings, and thus cause its crank or eccentric r to turn also, and by drawing up the chain or cord at cause the damperf to turn and thus open the direct-draft flue II. It will thus be seen that it will be impossible to raise any one of the closet-lids Without at the same time opening the direct-draft flue, thus preventing the possibility of a back-draft or the escape of odors at any point, except through the vent-stack, in which a strong draft is secured at all times by means well known and fully set forth in my prior patent on dry closet,No. 352,157. In order to operate this damper by the opening of either of the doors of the furnace,I attach to the crank of the damper a small chain or cord at and extend it to the front of the furnace, where it passes over a pulley, as shown in Fig. 1, and from thence extend it to the base or a point below the lowest door,

where its end is made fast. It will thus be seen that the vertical portion of this chain or cord passes down directly in front of and near to each of the furnace-doors, so that whenever either one of these doors is opened it will strike against the chain or cord and cause it to draw on the crank of the damper, thereby turning it and opening the direct-draft flue, the same as when operated by the raising of a closet-lid. Instead of the vertical portion of the chain m, a shaft with arms like that used with the closet-lids may be substituted, it being set vertical in suitable bearings, with its crank r at the top, and which will be connected to the crank of the damper by a cord or wire, there being an arm 1) arranged in front of each of thedoors, the result being the same.

As shown in Fig. 1, the damper f will be provided with a weight W, suificient and so arranged as to cause the damper to close antomatically the instant it is released by the closing of the closet-lid or the furnace-door, or the damper may be pivoted eccentrically within the pipe H and secure a preponderance of weight on one side of its axis sufficient to operate it, or it may be hinged at one edge, more especially if the pipe or flue be rectangular in cross-section, any mechanic skilled in such matters readily understanding from this description and illustration how to construct and arrange these parts so they will operate as designed. By these improvements I prevent the escape of odors in any direction,except into the vent-stack, and guard against the possibility of accidents due to the want of attention or carelessness on the part of the attendants in charge of the apparatus.

I have ascertained by experiment that less fire and less grate-surface than were shown in -myformerapplication are required inthis style of closet, and I therefore use a circular firepot B of the style shown with an ordinary shaking-grate, the space at the front and sides of the fire-pot being closed by a plate h, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to prevent the refuse from the pan from falling down at the sides of the fire-pot. Any style of fire pot or box may be used, it only being necessary to proportion it to the size of the apparatus and so locate it that the refuse from the pan will fall into it.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim herein isv 1. In a furnace arranged to receive the deposits from a closet, the pan or receptacle D,

having its bottom inclined substantially as shown, whereby the fluid contents are caused to accumulate at the end nearest the fire, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination with the pan or receptacle D, a scraper S, with means, substantially such as described, for moving the same to and fro therein.

3. In combination with a furnace provided leading from the, desiccating-chamber, said flue being provided with an automaticallyclosing valve or damper arranged to be opened by the opening of either of the furnace-doors, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

' ISAAC D. SMEAD.

Witnesses:

A. C. KOEHLER, FREDERICK L. GEDDES. 

